350. Revenge (6)
It was the worst possible situation.
They'd encountered Demonic Cult remnants in the Mukrim. Then, while charging back, they'd run into the Man nyeonto-ung. With no proper rest—barely any sleep at all—his body had been pushed to the absolute limit.
And that wasn't all. In the final clash with the Man nyeonto-ung, excessive fatigue had built up in his dantian, the eight extraordinary meridians, and key acupoints. Without the profound wonders of the Tae-eul True Scripture, it would have been no surprise if he'd already been a corpse.
In the midst of all that, encountering Jegumhak was a stroke of fortune. His resolve for mutual destruction was like a ray of light falling from the heavens—a chance for the ultimate reversal.
Through Jegumhak, he could fill his empty dantian. It might even expand it. If everything went right, he could handle the remaining Demonic Cultists too.
The problem, however...
"Jin-gongja!!!"
"Jin-gongja-nim!!!"
"Senior Brother!!!!"
Was that his clueless team members, oblivious to his intentions, charging in like mad to "help" him.
He tried to hurl himself into that storm before it was too late. But...
Ping- ping- ping-
As he shot toward Jegumhak's storm, he got snagged by the Flying Dragon Claws launched by the gold-silver-bronze brothers and Moyong Jaehwa, yanking him back out.
What the hell?
"What the fuck are you doing!!!"
"Senior Brother, what the hell are you doing?!"
Eunho's desperate plea—as if he'd made up his mind to die—left him speechless...
Ah, yeah, I guess it looks that way.
Tsk, but that's not it...
"You must be out of your fucking mind to wanna die!! You were gonna go in there alone?!"
"Eunho..."
"Why the hell should you have to sacrifice yourself?! For whose sake!!!"
Eunho seemed to have badly misunderstood. But with the glistening eyes of the others, he couldn't easily reveal the truth.
...It's not a sacrifice—it's a golden opportunity.
Right now, he wasn't in danger; he was standing at the edge of a cliff, facing a heavenly blessing.
He didn't know how effective it'd be, but Jegumhak's innate qi was on par with top elixirs. For someone like him, who hadn't seen dramatic changes from any recent elixir, this wasn't just a crisis—it was a feast laid out, and he couldn't kick it away.
But his clueless Tae-eul Gate juniors didn't know that, and their desperation was heartbreaking.
Feels like a dad caught sneaking out at night to steal, only to run into his kid.
Still, that's not it. I'm only targeting the Demonic Cult bastards.
Screw morals and ethics for now—first, reassure the kids.
"Listen up. I'm not sacrificing shit."
"..."
He ignored the mutter of Then what the hell have you been doing all this time?
"I have zero intention of dying in place of you academy brats. And I won't in the future either."
His biggest regret from his past life had been failing to protect these guys in the end. He wouldn't repeat that mistake this time.
"I'll stay till the very end, right in front of you. I can't die until then."
"...Isn't that even worse?"
"Huh?"
"...Nothing."
Geum Pyo made a dissatisfied face and turned away. What's his deal?
Anyway, he flashed a grin at them again.
"So don't worry. If I thought I'd die, I wouldn't have rushed in to begin with."
"..."
The blue and red winds blasting from Jegumhak were certainly threatening. But the idea that they'd take his life? Not a chance.
He shook his head firmly at their frustrated faces.
"This is the best play right now."
"Then... let us help too."
Damn it, not looking at me is how you help.
He shook his head resolutely.
"You okay with me holding back because I'm worried about you?"
"..."
"The best thing you can do right now is stay as far from me as possible."
That way, you won't see the Absorption Great Law.
"That's the best way to help me. Got it?"
"..."
"Why no answer?"
"...Understood."
That should do it. As they nodded reluctantly, he added one more thing.
"In return, I'll tell you what you can do for me."
The kids' ears perked up.
The group that had gone to capture Jin Sowoon returned without him, leaving Seong Moran and Namgung Seonhwa aghast.
"Why'd you just come back?!"
"..."
As Seong Moran and Namgung Seonhwa shot to their feet, Eunho blocked them.
"Sisters. Going now won't help Senior Brother."
"What're you talking about?! Of course we have to help!"
"No."
A faint anger flickered across Eunho's face.
"Right now, Senior Brother would be better off without us there."
How frustrating it was that despite all their efforts, they couldn't lend a hand—his nails dug into his palms.
"Even if we went, we wouldn't help."
"What the—"
Kwa-gwang!
As Jin Sowoon threw himself into the storm, massive explosions erupted everywhere. Red and blue winds tangled, with golden Jade Pure Heavenly Star Force flooding the gaps between.
Pew-pew-pew-pew-pew-pew!
Flames burst forth too, fiercer than the red wind's original heat, rippling with intense fire qi. One man unleashing that much—was it even possible?
It looked like a moth charging into massive flames.
Dozens, hundreds of illusory swords struggled to respond, but the exploding qi storm seemed beyond mortal ken.
Saryeon couldn't take it anymore and bolted forward.
"Sajin!"
Eunho grabbed her shoulder.
"Let go! Senior Brother can't handle that alone!"
"You planning to hinder him?"
"I just..."
"You gonna make his sacrifice meaningless?"
"..."
Saryeon's confusion deepened at this unfamiliar side of Eunho. The kid who'd always trailed after her calling "Sajin! Sajin!"—even after outgrowing her, he'd flee at a single scolding. Seeing him block her now was bewildering.
"Senior Brother's staking his life against our mortal enemy. He probably thinks he might die."
"Th-then we have to help..."
Overpowered by Eunho's intensity, Saryeon's voice dropped.
Eunho shook his head even more firmly.
"If I were alone here, I'd do it. No, I'd save Senior Brother somehow..."
Eunho's gaze turned to Saryeon, then to the fidgeting Dongryong beside her.
He thought from Senior Brother's perspective. The enemy was resolved to mutual destruction. Every bit of qi he emitted was lethally dangerous.
Against this foe, numbers didn't matter.
"But rushing to help now would just get in the way."
A situation where one sacrifice was needed to save the many. Who to demand it from?
Senior Brother had chosen himself. To save even one more person. To save Dongryong, Saryeon, and him.
Eunho understood. Because if he were in the same spot, he'd offer his life for Saryeon and Dongryong.
But sadly, his skills weren't even worthy of being that sacrifice against such a terrifying foe.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwang!
Pew-pew-pew-pew!
It wasn't just Jin Sowoon. Explosions grew from Ilgak's fight and Cheol Sunjik's too. The enemy was few but their attacks devastating; allies were many but few could fight.
No spot needed their current manpower.
And moreover...
"Senior Brother gave an order."
Evacuate during the openings. Even as acting Sahwal-dan leader, he was giving his all to that duty.
Eunho knew better than anyone how foolish it was to act on emotion here.
So, at least fulfill Senior Brother's final request.
Make sure his sacrifice wasn't in vain.
"What we need to do now is get out of here fast. So Senior Brother can escape whenever..."
A leader couldn't abandon his men and flee alone. Especially not someone with Jin Sowoon's overwhelming sense of responsibility—he'd feel it more than anyone.
The best help now was clearing space for his escape. Create an exit before things got dire.
"Let's move."
Blood trickled from Eunho's bitten lip, and the others couldn't argue.
Who could rebut such gravity?
With heavy hearts, Eunho glanced toward where Sowoon had charged.
Senior Brother, please be careful.
Then he took heavier steps away.
The Yin-Yang Twin Demons. Masters of the heaven-defying Yin-Yang Qi, their brilliant minds always toying with foes—called the two-headed monster of the Murim Alliance.
The current Jegumhak wasn't at that past life's peak.
He'd seemed threatening enough at Saheukryeon, forcing even him to prepare for mutual destruction.
But after that mutual annihilation strike, his brain-fried self fell short of even Saheukryeon's Jegumhak, let alone the original.
Of course, that's just talk.
With life's limits unbound, Jegumhak became another monster. Wielding Yin-Yang Qi at Yin-Yang Twin Demon levels, fist arts rivaling Nam Hwaseong's.
The guy who'd cowered behind
Ice Barrier
back then now attacked like bare-handed combat was his specialty.
Pew-pew-pew-pew-puk!
Whatever body mods he'd done, his punches and kicks hurt like broken bones—but thankfully, that was it. Without true mastery, lethal wounds barely missed.
The real issue was his red and blue winds.
Squeak— They filled the gaps in his fist art enlightenment.
Aim for his sloppy openings, pour on Cartoon Invincible Fist, and red wind surges in.
Pew-pew!
Dissipate the blast, slash down—and blue wind turns to
Ice Barrier
.
Just once. One opening.
That's all he needed.
But it never came.
Burning life force wrinkled his face in real time.
No!! My elixir... no, ahem.
He scattered the Ten Thousand Swords of Heaven and Earth in horror.
Then unleashed Twin Heaven Sword Conclusion at full power.
As attacks to block multiplied in the storm, the red and blue winds' density thinned.
"Die, you fucker!!!"
Scraping every last bit of inner energy, an unreal sight unfolded—one even he could scarcely believe.
Golden sword qi splitting countless winds. Yin-Yang Qi resisting. Their clash...
Pew-pew-pew-pew-pew-pew-pew!
Smoke blinded everything.
Pew-pew-pew-pew-pew!
How many blasts? Reason lost, Jegumhak blankly scanned around.
He kindly informed him.
"Right here."
As he turned in horror...
Crack.
Feeling his empty dantian, he activated the Azure Dragon Ring at full power.
It's coming!!!! Whoa!!!
